WANT TO BE AN AMERICORPS? WE’RE RECRUITING!

PAWV is recruiting Preserve WV AmeriCorps members to start immediately at additional sites.  These sites were added after PAWV was awarded supplemental funding from Volunteer WV and the Corporation for National and Community Service.  The positions are one-year and will start on a rolling basis.  They include:

• Charleston Main Street, Charleston (Full-time position);
• Kump Education Center, Elkins (Half-time position)

For full position descriptions, see the bottom of this post.

To apply, complete an AmeriCorps application, submitted under the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program at the website http://www.nationalservice.gov/programs/americorps/join-americorps. Search under “West Virginia” for our listing.

Send in a cover letter to dlapresta@pawv.org regarding the position(s) for which you would like to apply.

Additional Information
The Preserve WV AmeriCorps program is a statewide program administered by Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV), the statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to historic preservation in the Mountain State. The purpose of the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program is to implement historic preservation and heritage tourism projects throughout West Virginia by way of historic resource re-use, improvement, development, and interpretation.  Members’ service will focus on community development and revitalization through projects focused on historic resource improvement, volunteer management, community engagement, historic resource surveys, historic preservation, and heritage tourism development.

Preserve WV AmeriCorps members will be placed with an individual site throughout the state of West Virginia.  Position descriptions and sites are found at the bottom of this document; a separate document that has the positions open for recruitment is available.  Program start date and orientation was originally August 29, 2016, and since that date has passed, members will start depending on their selection and availability.  All members must commit to serving for 11 ½ to 12 months with full-time members serving 1750 hours and half-time members serving 950 hours.

Full-time members (1750 hours) will receive a $12,600 living allowance payable in 23 bi-weekly installments.  Members qualify for student loan forbearance during their service year. Workers Compensation insurance and a health insurance subsidy for yourself (not family) will be provided. A child care subsidy can be available for qualified candidates. Unemployment coverage is not included.

Half-time members (950 hours) will receive a $6,300 living allowance payable in 23 bi-weekly installments.  Students currently enrolled in an institute of higher learning are encouraged to apply for the half-time member positions, as the service time and projects for these positions may be used toward internship requirements.  Workers compensation insurance will be provided.  A child care subsidy can be available for qualified candidates. Unemployment and health insurance coverage are not included.

All members are responsible for their own living arrangements and cost, unless otherwise noted in the position description. No resettlement or moving allowance is included.

All members will receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award at the successful completion of their term of service.  The educational award for full-time members is equivalent to the Pell Grant amount and is subject to change annually.  The educational award for half-time members is pro-rated according to their service time and will, on average, be half of what a full-time member receives.  Uncompleted terms or uncompleted hours do not receive an educational award. The educational award can be used for most college tuition, technical, or vocational education, or repayment of qualified student loans. Under new rules, some members 55 or older may choose to transfer their award to a child or grandchild. Existing qualified student loans can be deferred during your AmeriCorps service with loan interest paid for the deferred period.

Member Requirements:

• The member must be a US citizen, US national, or lawful permanent resident alien.
• The member must have a high school diploma or GED and be at least 17 years old at the start of service.
• The member must honestly record any criminal history with the program director and must have a clear record with no murder or sexual assault convictions.
• The member will be required to attend one day of orientation with other members and their supervisors most likely at their site. Orientation will focus on the AmeriCorps program policies, procedures, and prohibited activities.
• Members will be required to participate in their first Civic Service project on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and will be required to participate in three total Civic Service project days.
• Members will receive additional site-specific training from their service site and participate in individual training in topics related directly to their site duties over the course of the service year.
• Members will be required to provide their own transportation to trainings. Carpooling with other members or PAWV staff is strongly encouraged.  Other training activities may be scheduled during the first month of service and throughout the year.  Members will be notified of these training.  Expect to attend quarterly meetings with Preserve WV AmeriCorps programs.  This information will be provided to you and your supervisor during orientation.
• Member must track and log service time and duties in a timesheet provided by the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program director, as well as in an online reporting system called OnCorps.
• Members must participate in three civic service days per year at locations to be determined by the program or of their choice. These dates usually occur in September, January, and April, and further information will be provided during orientation.
• Members must participate in teleconference calls with their site supervisor and the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program coordinator. Other teleconference calls or in-person meetings are to be scheduled at random or as needed.

While charging time to the AmeriCorps program, accumulating service or training hours, or otherwise performing activities supported by the AmeriCorps program or CNCS, staff and members may not engage in the following activities (see 45 CFR 250.65):

1. Any activity attempting to influence legislation;
2. Organizing or engaging in protests, petitions, boycotts or strikes ;
3. Assisting, promoting or deterring union organizing;
4. Impairing existing contracts for services or collective bargaining agreements;
5. Engaging in partisan political activities, or other activities designed to influence the outcome of an election to any public office;
6. Participating in, or endorsing events or activities that are likely to include advocacy for or against political parties, political platforms, political candidates, proposed legislation, or elected officials;
7. Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization;
8. Providing a direct benefit to
   1. A business organized for profit;
   2. A labor union;
   3. A partisan political organization;
   4. A nonprofit organization that fails to comply with the restrictions contained in section 501 (c)(3) of the IRS Code of 1986 except that nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent participants from engaging in advocacy activities undertaken at their own initiative; and
   5. An organization engaged in the religious activities described in paragraph (vii) of this section, unless Corporation assistance is not used to support those religious activities
9. Conducting a voter registration drive or using Corporation funds to conduct a voter registration drive;
10. Providing abortion services or referrals for receipt of such services;
11. Such other activities as the Corporation may prohibit.

Any perceived association with the AmeriCorps program while engaged in any of these activities should be avoided – this includes any time you are wearing your AmeriCorps uniform and/or the AmeriCorps logo.  Individuals may exercise their rights as private citizens and may participate in the above activities on their own initiative on non-AmeriCorps time.  The AmeriCorps logo should not be worn while doing so.

Also a member’s service activities may not include:

1. Raising funds for his or her living allowance;
2. Raising funds for an organization’s operating expenses or endowment;
3. Writing grant applications for AmeriCorps funding or for any other funding providing by CNCS; and
4. Writing grant applications for funding by any other Federal agency.

Recruitment for this program encourages diversity and will not discriminate based upon race, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, political affiliation, marital or parental status, or military service. The program will provide reasonable accommodation to qualified persons with disabilities.

National Service Criminal History Checks members must agree to conduct as part of the Preserve WV AmeriCorps program:

• National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW);
• State of Residence Fingerprint Check, if applicable based on application address in the My AmeriCorps portal;
• State of Service Fingerprint Check;
• FBI Fingerprint Check.

All Positions Skill Requirements:

• Demonstrable historical research abilities
• Good written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking
• Good organization skills required for multi-tasking for event coordination and volunteer management purposes
• Comfortable working with different types of people
• Responsible and a self-starter
• Experience with historical resources or historic preservation (or ability to prove capability to learn)
• Familiarity with heritage tourism (or ability to prove capability to learn)
• Some leadership experience or group/volunteer management experience (or ability to demonstrate effective leadership skills)
• Computer experience: internet research, Microsoft Suite (including PowerPoint, Excel, and Publisher), email, social media, (Graphic Design skills not necessary but appreciated)
• Must be willing to travel using personal car or rental car throughout the state or region for some positions and training opportunities
• College degree or significant life experience preferred
• High school diploma or equivalent required

Position Descriptions

Charleston Main Streets – 1 Full-time Position
Site Supervisor: Ric Cavender
Charleston, Kanawha County
www.charlestonmainstreets.org 

Charleston Main Streets (CMS) is a city-wide, multi-district and economic development organization focused on the revitalization of Charleston’s East End and West Side through business development, urban design improvements, promotions and marketing, and community organization. CMS’s mission is to grow vibrant commercial districts, serving as the main vessel through the city’s urban core, that fosters an environment for economic growth and the strongest business districts in West Virginia.

The staff and Board of CMS are currently in the process of fulfilling the recently adopted 5-year comprehensive strategic plan. A component of the plan addresses strategies for business and economic development, including inventorying and eventually assisting with the sale/lease of key historic commercial properties. The CMS Central Economic Development Committee has identified the need for an AmeriCorps member to solely focus on the development of a comprehensive building and property database, which will be used as a foundational component of future economic and business development in our East End and West Side business districts. This process entails analyzing the existing data for each focus district property on the East End and West Side (square footage, location, potential use, assessed value, appraised value, last list price, etc.) and creating a comprehensive database.

The Preserve WV AmeriCorps member will serve approximately 40 hours per week and will operate out of the newly-renovated permanent office for CMS located at 422 Shrewsburry Street.  The member will be assigned the following tasks to develop a comprehensive, multi-district property and building database that will be essential for future economic development endeavors in the urban districts of Charleston, including:

• Develop effective relationships with buildings owners, the Kanawha County assessor’s office, and other professionals in an effort to collect and analyze the most up-to-date information on every commercial property and building in the CMS development focus districts (Washington Street East and West and Smith Street);
• Analyzing current building and property data;
• Building upon current lists;
• Visiting and assessing each property;
• Once full lists are completed, develop individual property profiles and help create a uniform system for accessing information for each property, which will be used to recruit new businesses and investors to the districts; and
• Assist with volunteer management and implementation regarding CMS annual events.

Kump Education Center – 1 Half-time Position
Site Supervisor: Heather Biola
Elkins, Randolph County
http://www.kumpcenter.org/

The mission of the Kump Education Center is to utilize the historic Kump property for the promotion of student achievement and teacher excellence in central West Virginia.  The Kump Education Center is located in the historic home of H.G. Kump (the 19thGovernor of the State of West Virginia).  In 2008, the Kump family home and an endowed trust were gifted to the City of Elkins by the will of Mary Gamble Kump, daughter of H.G. Kump. The Kump Education Center, Inc. is a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) corporation, organized in 2010 with the mission to fulfill the further declared wishes of Mary Gamble Kump that the property be used for preservation and education purposes, including professional development for educators, student achievement, good citizenship development of children and youth, sustainability activities and studies, historic preservation, and heritage education and cultural tourism.

The Preserve WV AmeriCorps member will serve approximately 20 hours per week primarily at the Kump Education Center in the spring and summer months (weather permitting).  Since the building does not currently have working heating methods, the member will be provided an office in the Elkins City Hall during winter, spring, and fall months.  The member’s main service projects will involve assisting KEC board and volunteers to bring the Kump Property up to a fully habitable, year round condition.  Member activities will include assistance in:

• Researching renewable energy methods, seek estimates on upgrades for old utilities, and finding information on grants and loans for public facilities needing to meet new ADA codes and standards for electrical wiring and plumbing codes;
• Jumpstarting the utility rehabilitation project so the Kump Center can have year-round activities in the historic house within the next three years;
• Leading some of the historic & heritage educational programs offered at the Kump Education Center;
• Giving heritage tourism tours of the house and property;
• Maintaining social media and traditional mailing; and
• Managing volunteers for the center and events.